A Doylean Honor

I am delighted to announce that my poem The Ascent was recognised with a Doylean Honor for Excellence in Fiction and Poetry at the ACD Society’s Second Annual Award Ceremony, which took place on 5 January 2023 at the Mysterious Bookshop in New York.

The ACD Society is a community dedicated to studying and enjoying the works of Arthur Conan Doyle, and my poem is a tribute to his love for his wife Touie, as expressed through the house he designed to accommodate the challenges of her failing health. It was published last year in the first issue of the new journal Steel True, Blade Straight! from Belanger Books.

Undershaw is a house that is full of life. When I first visited in 2019, I was enchanted to hear how much thought Conan Doyle had put into making this house a home for his wife. However, the most amazing thing was that it was not just another empty monument to past lives, like so many stately homes, but a thriving school, offering amazing opportunities to the pupils lucky enough to attend. I am sure that Arthur and Touie would approve of how their restored home has been expanded and adapted once again to meet the needs of its new residents. I am proud to be able to support Undershaw through my contributions to the MX Collection of New Sherlock Holmes Stories, and pleased that my small tribute to this special place has resonated with fans of Conan Doyle.